No, it's apt-get dist-upgrade that is discouraged (and indeed want to do catastrophic mess, even on my device). As for apt-get upgrade, I'm using it all the time without any problems - just, like with EVERYTHING you install, keep and eye on what it want to do before confirming (especially, what it want to remove). Same apply to selective packages installation, so nothing new here.

The apt-get upgrade "discouraging" was another popular FUD myth being spread by infamous joerg at some point - like most other things said by that guy, it wasn't based on any merit nor logic. At least not more than "depreciating" of FAM or apt-get itself.

As for libqt4-* things, I'm not sure if they're not required for some parts of CSSU to work (albeit, in such case, something else than metapackage should depend on it, right?). CSSU people, any comment on why it's part of metapackage? I'm curious, too.

/Estel